By Our Correspondent
National News – Female deputy governors across Nigeria have urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to introduce a structured affirmative action policy ahead of the 2027 general elections to boost women’s representation in elective and party positions.
The call was made on Friday through a letter signed by the Coordinator of the Forum of Female Deputy Governors in Nigeria and Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, and addressed to the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda.
The forum said the proposal aims to address the low number of women currently occupying political offices in Nigeria.
According to the deputy governors, only nine women serve as deputy governors nationwide, while four women are in the Senate and seventeen in the House of Representatives.
They also noted that just forty-eight women currently serve in state houses of assembly across the country, with thirteen states having no female legislators at all.
Overall, women’s political participation remains between four and five percent nationally.
In the letter, the group proposed that political parties, particularly the APC, adopt a minimum 35 percent quota for women in State Houses of Assembly.
They also recommended that each senatorial district should produce at least one female member of the House of Representatives and that every state should have at least one female senator.
The forum further suggested the emergence of at least 18 female deputy governors nationwide and one female governor in each geopolitical zone as part of efforts to strengthen female representation and leadership in Nigeria’s political system.
Eyakenyi and her colleagues emphasised that increasing women’s political participation is not only about fairness but also about improving governance and strengthening democracy.
They argued that more women in leadership would broaden voter engagement, bring diverse perspectives to decision-making, and enhance policy outcomes.
The female deputy governors also pledged to mentor emerging female leaders, mobilise grassroots support, and collaborate with party structures to ensure women are better represented in future elections.
They described the 2027 elections as a crucial opportunity for the APC to demonstrate leadership in promoting gender inclusion and breaking long-standing barriers that have limited women’s participation in Nigerian politics.
